Foul language on the bus is a source of annoyance for Tasha Plaskett, a 21-year-old mother who says she’s been riding the bus for the past six months.

Plaskett said she takes the bus because she doesn’t have a car and finds it cheaper than taking a taxi.

Plaskett said it’s essential for passengers to remember to keep their language clean, their music soft and a bus schedule handy.

“Sometimes it takes a while for the bus to get there, so if you’re using the bus to get to work or an appointment, you need to plan ahead,” Plaskett said.

For Petie Settlemire, who says he rides the bus four to five times a week, one of the major concerns he has is not with his fellow patrons, but with the number of shelters at bus stops. Settlemire said he’d like to see more of the blue shelters on the bus routes.

“We need these shelters so people don’t get sick,” Settlemire said. “If someone’s out here on a rainy day, they could get really sick. A lot of the folks who ride can’t afford to get sick.”

According to information from the city, there are currently 87 marked stops within the city limits. Eleven of those have shelters while 36 have a combination of map board, bench and/or trash can. Another 40 are marked with a bus stop sign.

Settlemire also said he’d like to see a pay raise for bus drivers and later service, but also said the transit was a service to the poor and middle class residents in Jacksonville who can’t always afford gas.

On the Jacksonville Transit website, the official rules and regulations for riding their buses are posted.

In part, they prohibit smoking or bringing open containers of food or drink onto the bus, playing music without head phones and yelling or using profane language. They also advise riders to arrive at their stops a few minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive and to have exact change for bus fare.

According to Anthony Prinz, the transportation services administrator for the City of Jacksonville, these rules are for the safety and convenience of passengers.

“Eating and drinking on the bus can cause spills and odors not everyone wants to be exposed to,” Prinz said. “Having exact change and getting to the stop early is about having respect for other’s time. If you get on the bus with a $20, you’re going to have a conversation with the driver about making change and debating whether or not to board, which throws the ride off schedule.”

Prinz said when a patron is preparing to disembark, it’s important they don’t wait to the last minute to pull the cord that tells the driver to stop at the next stop. Prinz says doing that throws off the driver and could cause collisions if other cars are around. When the bus comes to a destination, Prinz advises passengers to leave the bus in an efficient, though safe, manner.

Page 2 of 2 - “You want people to get off safely, but we don’t want to stop traffic or create opportunities for rear-end collisions,” Prinz said. “We have these rules for the safety of passengers, the bus drivers and the drivers in the surrounding roadway.”